


Memoria

by jaesoosgal



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band), 여자친구 | GFriend (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Merman/Artist, Seokju
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 00:49:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17415785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaesoosgal/pseuds/jaesoosgal
Summary: Merman x Artist Fantasy AU based on Gfriend’s song Memoria





	Memoria

🎶Memoria, Memoria  
Alone under the sun, I tried to close my eyes  
So the warmth I felt will come back to me  
No matter how much tears I shed  
The memory I had with you is engraved in my heart🎶

It was one bright summer day and 8 year old Seokmin was goofing around with his mer-palSSS Seungkwan and Soonyoung after sneaking out of their homes to go people watching. Although belonging to different kinds of merpeople, the three got along the most.

They were hiding behind this huge rock when they heard footsteps before finally seeing a little girl in pigtail braids. 

Seungkwan and Soonyoung quickly swam off knowing that if a kid is wandering around the sea, surely their parents are close by. And it was true. The little girl came with her grandfather who was fishing near that area. 

Seokmin, however, found the little girl’s crinkling brows and scrunching nose cute and adorable to leave just yet so he decided to observe for a few seconds more. She was holding her hands towards the sky forming a rectangular shape as if measuring it before getting herself a paper and a stick? Seokmin wasn’t sure what it’s called and began scribbling?

Seokmin was so curious to see what the little girl was doing and before he knew it, he was inches away from her. And then she looked up from what she was doing making the two of them now part of what seemed like a staring contest.  The shocked little Seokmin broke it off immediately with a loud gasp earning him a smile. A beautiful smile, he may add.

“Why hello there!” she greeted brightly.  
“I’m Choi Yuna!” she reached her hand forward.

What a brave girl, he thought, introducing herself like that too quickly to a stranger (and to a merman).

“Well aren’t you gonna shake my hand?” she reached again.

Seokmin lifted his hand from the water and shaked hers.

“Your name?”

“Um, Seokmin. My name is Lee Seokmin!” He finally smiled brightly making her question whether it’s his smile or the sun behind him that blinded her eyes for a second.

🎶Shine, laugh, and shine, go around beyond time  
I hope the wind blows and bring me to you🎶

That was how the two of them met; how their story began; and how they found themselves coming back to that rock the same time every day with Seokmin sneaking out of his home and Yuna with the same excuse to her family: to draw the sea! 

The two of them did everything and talked about anything under the sun on that rock. Well mostly Yuna drawing and coloring and Seokmin just quietly watching her. 

Yuna, he found out, loves to draw and that she dreams of becoming an artist in the future and that she was also only visiting her grandparents here while it’s still summer vacation.

Seokmin didn’t share much about himself except that he’s fascinated with the stars in the night sky. 

But Yuna didn’t mind that. She also didn’t mind that he never went out of the water to sit with her on the rock. His excuse? He just simply doesn’t want to get out of the water. 

“Besides, I can look at (you) what you’re drawing from the other side of the rock better anyway.” he said cheekily.

And so it was like that everyday before the sun sets, until the time that Yuna had to go back to the city came. But the two promised to meet again. She promised to be back and he too, promised that by that time, he’ll let her in on his little secret: that he was a merman. 

The time didn’t come soon however. It took 7 years before Yuna got the chance to return -when her grandfather died.

It’s not that she didn’t want to come back sooner, but things just got a little busy in the city. She was finally entering the art school of her dreams this coming school year!

🎶Memoria, Memoria  
Even when I wake up from this dream,  
I believe the two of us are connected, far, far away🎶

After the funeral, she decided to go to the beach. She stood by the huge rock, breathing in the sea when she realized everything seems so oddly familiar. She sat down and began tracing something etched on the rock and there she saw it -the stick figures of a girl and a boy with the letters S and Y at the bottom.

“Hello.” a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up again, the same way she did seven years ago and was quickly captivated by the other pair of eyes -his eyes.

He blushed at the way she was looking at him and began scratching the back of his head.

“I’m not sure if you remember me but I’m-”

“Lee Seokmin.” she cut him off.

He looked up at her slightly shocked before smiling brightly.

“Oraenmaniya!” she reached her hand smiling and he shook it.

That was how their story continued. They began seeing each other again everyday like they used to. It was just the beginning of summer and while Yuna’s parents went back to the city after the funeral, she asked to stay for the whole duration of her summer vacation to spend time with her grandmother (and with Seokmin as well).

As days passed, the two began falling deeply fond towards one another. She shared with him some of her artworks and even taught him how to draw. He on the other hand, taught her of the sea, the sky, and the constellations.

One time, just before the sun sets, he found himself drawing a constellation on her right wrist while she lay on the rock asleep. After his “masterpiece” was done, he stared at her contentedly for a few seconds before falling asleep as well.

The sun was long gone by the time she awoke. She saw Seokmin asleep. She was about to wake him up, worried that he was sleeping with half of his body under water when she saw the art on her wrist. She smiled. It was a constellation, she figured, looking somehow like a necktie? It was beautiful nonetheless. She loved the colors and the purple hues he used in the background. And then she chuckled when she realized that the ink he used was the semi permanent ones. She was still so engrossed on the painting on her wrist when she finally noticed something shining just beyond the rock and Seokmin’s sleeping head.

And her eyes grew because lo and behold, it was a tail. A mermaid, no, a merman’s tail. Seokmin was a merman!

And she saw him stir, finally waking up. He looked up at her, smiling, before quickly turning his head towards the direction of her eyes and took, well swam a step back.

“I can explain!”

“You. You’re not-”

“Yes. I’m not exactly human.”

She didn’t say a thing.

“Please don’t be afraid! I’m, I’m not human but I’m not bad. I won’t hurt you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? All this time.”

“I was going to.” he sighed.

To be honest, Yuna didn’t mind that Seokmin was a merman because she likes Seokmin. She might have even fallen in love with him already. But she wasn’t going to admit that just yet.

“But dont merpeople sing?”

“We do. We love to sing. But-”

“What, you’ll hypnotize me if you do?”

They were sitting next to each other now on the rock for the first time ever.

“Yes and No. You see there are traits that are only special to each mer kind. The spell singers hold that ability. And while I can also sing, I can’t exactly hypnotize people. Me and my folks, well, call us in charge of navigation. The ship savers.”

“That explains the constellation on my wrist. What is it by the way?”

“It’s the constellation Lyra.”

“The harp of Orpheus.”

“Yes.”

“Tomorrow marks the 8th year since the day we met.” Seokmin looked at Yuna beside him who was busy with her sketchpad.

They sit next to each other on the rock regularly now that Seokmin’s secret was out. And Yuna loved it. She loved the warmth shared between them.

“With that note, I want to tell you something really important.”

She finally looked up, her heart skipping a beat.

Is he going to confess? Will she finally confess as well? 

Her mind was racing but before she can utter a word, she heard the sound of her grandmother’s voice calling her.

“I have to go.” she quickly said standing up.

She began getting her stuff when Seokmin stopped her.

“Tomorrow. Meet me tomorrow! Before sunset! Please?” He pleaded, his hand holding hers.

She nodded before running towards her grandmother.

But she never came back that tomorrow before sunset. He waited and waited. But Choi Yuna never came.

5 Years later…

Choi Yuna is now a blossoming artist.

She went back to her grandparent’s house with her parents, this time for her grandmother’s funeral.

🎶Memoria, Memoria  
Although it’s just a fleeting memory  
Hug me so I can become stronger🎶

She didn’t know why but she had the urge to go to the beach. So she did. She stood by the water, breathing in the scent of the ocean. She didn’t know why but tears started falling from her eyes. And it’s not because of her grandmother’s passing. It was different. It’s as if the sea is making her chest hurt so much. 

Out of habit, she began tracing the art painted on her wrist. She didn’t know how it got there in the first place but she found it beautiful so she had it tattooed permanently. It was the constellation Lyra. The harp of Orpheus.

"Yes."

She opened her eyes, everything rushing back -his eyes, his blinding smile, his laugh, his plea, oh gosh.

I want to tell you something really important.

Tomorrow. Meet me tomorrow! Before sunset! Please?

His pleading voice was ringing in her ears.

🎶I want to tell you that  
I love you  
I love you🎶

She started running, sprinting, towards the rock, towards him.

Flashbacks of what happened that day came to mind.

//flashback//

She was going to meet Seokmin that afternoon when her grandmother and a local man stopped her.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“By the huge rock, to draw the-”

“Draw the sea or meet that man?!”

Yuna’s eyes grew wide.

“How-”

“Someone saw you, Yuna talking to a man by the huge rock. A man nobody knew nor met before. Possibly a-”

“He’s just a friend, also a traveller.” she cut her grandmother with a lie.

“Traveller? You know full well not to lie in this house. Your grandfather was killed by those merpeople!”

“Grandpa wasn’t killed by the merpeople! He was killed while fishing in a stormy sea!”

🎶Imagine that such a day will come  
Where the world is ending🎶

She had no time for this. It was almost sunset. She needed to go to him. Despite her grandmother’s yelling and the man’s strong arms pulling her back, she ran out of the house and towards the sea. 

She didn’t care about anything anymore, all she cares about now is telling Seokmin how she really feels. To tell him that she loves him.

With the huge rock already in sight, she screamed his name but it was a faint one and everything turned black.

//end of flashback//

She screamed his name until she couldn’t scream no more. Her throat and lungs are burning and she was crying apologetic words.

🎶Our sign, always our sign  
I wish I could be next to you  
Because always, always I’m waiting for you🎶

She stared at her wrist before holding it close to her heart.

She wondered if he can somehow hear her. If he’s just hiding, angry with the fact that she didn’t keep her promise, or if he even truly exists.

She figured she’ll never know.

Because no Lee Seokmin came. It was just her on the rock. Her and the rock. With no sight of a merman -her merman.

🎶Everyday, every time  
This story in my heart that will never change  
Hold me close, I will send this memory to you🎶

**Author's Note:**

> Ho ho I so missed my angsty writer self. Haha Also! The Constellation Lyra that Seokmin drew on Yuna’s wrist in the story has a really beautiful myth/tragedy behind it so search for it too if you have the time! Okay that’s all, I hope you enjoyed reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it! 💜🌻
> 
> P.S. Wrote a very short epilogue ish to this titled Dream of a Dream!


End file.
